


For the Want of a Light Saber

by meaghann



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Monster of the Week, Protective Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 13:49:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20779607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meaghann/pseuds/meaghann
Summary: When a hunt goes upside down, Dean and Sam encounter a new monster and Dean learns some new truths.





	For the Want of a Light Saber

Monsters didn't often get the jump on the Winchester's as badly as this, thought Dean as he watched Sam grabbed and held down by two hulking hairy brutes. It was the last thing he saw as darkness fell and he toppled to the floor.

Dean's nostrils were flooded with the smell of rot and decay and he gagged as he woke, choking as his brain and body figured out he was upside down, hanging by his ankles. The sweet cloying smell of human remains was mixed in, and as he retched, whole body shudders hit him and he flailed, spinning around, making the nausea worse. He opened his eyes to see what sort of room he was in, but there was no light at all. He couldn't tell if it was his eyes or the light, but it was disturbing. 

"Sam? Sammy? Can you hear me?"

There was only silence. Dean stilled his breathing and tried to extend his senses and read the room. There was no breathing nearby which either meant Sam was being held elsewhere or he was dead, but Dean couldn't even let himself think that. That way lay hopelessness and Dean needed strength. The space around him felt deadened, muffled; no creaks from wooden walls or floors, no outdoor sounds of wind, rain or traffic, so they were in a cave possibly or in a facility underground. The smell made him decide that it was a cave. There were damp earth and mossy, plant odours. All of it meant that they had been moved, but he didn't have any idea how far. His head was throbbing from being upside down and he missed someone entering the room.

"Little earth man, you and your litter-mate were hunting me," the creature said and from its voice and where the sound was coming from, Dean could tell that whatever it was, it was huge. Great, he thought, other than the lack of snow I’m Luke without a light saber.

"Well, you were hunting humans and we protect them."

"It was an accident, not a hunt," rumbled the voice sounding apologetic."My mate is sick and he has been acting without thought. We don’t kill humans. We eat smaller prey than you. If I let you down, will you listen? I need help to catch him and cure him.”

“I don’t even know what you are much less how to help you. But before I help, I need to see that my brother is safe.”

The big creature came forward and then lit a torch so Dean could see her. She was a big, furry something, with kind eyes and that surprised Dean. He was expecting to be attacked any minute, but she untied him and helped him to stand properly and then handed him a clay pitcher of water.

“I will fetch your brother” said the big creature and she shuffled out of the room, returning shortly with a slightly confused Sam.

“Dean are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m good, you?”

“Yeah, just confused.”

Their hostess turned and beckoned them over to a fire pit she was feeding fresh logs into. Dean looked at her carefully and she seemed tired, for what he could read on her furry face. She sighed and turned more fully to them.

“You humans might think we are monsters, but we only prey on animals. You have no name for us in your language. We have been on this continent longer than people and will probably outlast you. May I offer you some tea while we talk?” The offer of tea coming out of the mouth of a ten foot high, furry creature made Dean snort, but he managed to turn it into a cough.

“No thank you,” said Dean as Sam accepted. 

‘“What can we call you?” asked Sam, always one for the niceties.

“I have no pronounceable name, but the closest for you might be Mari. Yes, that will be acceptable” said Mari.

There was a fluttery sound in the quiet cave and Castiel, Angel of the Lord arrived. Dean jumped to his feet, expecting trouble, but Mari simply turned her massive head to observe the new arrival. Castiel’s eyes widened slightly at the creature, but then to Dean’s astonishment, he bowed low.

“Sister, I am honoured to meet with you again. I hope these hunters have been respectful?”

“Oh yes Castiel, we have just been starting the sharing of tea and conversation. Please join us.” The angel took a ceramic mug of tea and sat primly in his trench coat, looking right at home. Mari patted him with a huge paw and on a normal human that would have knocked them flat, but Cas just smiled at Mari. 

“Dear friend,” and she proceeded to say a name that neither Dean nor Sam could understand, “has become very ill and his mind is fractured. I could use your help and of course the hunters to trap my mate and find a way to help him.” Her paws were twisting together and even Dean could see she was distressed. He moved over to her and patted her massive shoulder.

“Ma’am we will be happy to help” and he raised an eyebrow at Sam and Cas who both nodded in agreement, although Sam smirked at his ma’am. Dean was amused in turn by the sight of his giant of a brother and Mari heads together as they planned out a trap that would hold her mate. He caught Cas staring at him from across the fire and the look on his face was puzzled.

“What’s up Cas? You look like you are having profound thoughts, and yeah, how do you know Mari so well?”

“I have just never seen you so eager to help a creature that isn’t human Dean. You seem very comfortable, much more so than I expected. Mari is an old, old creature. She and her kind walked the earth long ago and there are very few of them left. In fact I haven’t seen them in hundreds of years. Mari and her mate may be the last two. I sometimes call in on them for a long perspective on the world.” He seemed wistful, looking suddenly as old as his years, and it hit Dean that there weren’t many creatures as old as Cas either. 

“Hey, I know I’m a really young thing, but you can always talk to me Cas, you know that right?”

“Yes, Dean thank you” and the smile really reached Cas’s eyes this time and Dean grinned too. In the end the whole affair was pretty simple. Mari’s mate was captured with a tranquilizer dart and Cas worked his mojo, assuring Mari that her mate was healthy and would wake up fine. Watching Cas being gentle with the big furry Mari and healing, did strange things to Dean. He suddenly, fiercely wanted. Wanted Cas aiming that gentleness at him. He was always the strong one, the fighter, the one with a plan, even if it was a terrible plan. He never let anyone in, except for Sam and even then it was hard to do. Dean shook himself and chimed in goodbyes with the others and headed off to the path. The drive back to the hotel was a blur.

Much later, the hotel room was quiet, with only the sound of breathing when Dean slipped out. Holding a beer in one hand, he wandered out to the Impala and climbed onto the hood, leaning back to watch the sky. It was a clear night with stars spread out above him and he breathed out, enjoying the solitude. The beer was cold and it would have been perfect, but his mind kept flashing back to the sight of Castiel comforting Mari. He had been dignified, but warm and friendly to the big creature. It occurred to Dean that every time he noticed Cas being awkward it was around Dean and humans in general. That was somewhere Dean’s mind had never gone before. He knew that Cas saw humans as interesting, but maybe he was tolerating their awkwardness around other beings. Dean knew that he had been looking at Cas for years now, but it was really his vessel he was admiring and that wasn’t fair to Cas, and he finally got it. He was ogling something pure and far above him. He sighed and tipped his beer bottle at the stars.

“I really am an idiot. Time to get my head on straight.”

“You are not an idiot Dean.”

Dean really wished he could be cool enough not to jump when Cas appeared, but nope, he was as bad as a teenager in a slasher film.

“Cas, man, seriously, I am going to stroke out one of these days. You need a bell.”

“I apologize Dean, angels move soundlessly place to place. But I insist you are not an idiot. Why would you say that about yourself?”

Dean couldn’t look at Cas. He was very glad for the darkness hiding his ridiculous blush. “I uh, I can’t really talk about this, Cas. It’s ridiculous.”

In one of those rare moments of complete understanding, Cas climbed up on the hood o the Impala next to Dean and cupped Dean’s chin with his hand, turning Dean to look at him, which had Dean looking at him in confusion and a bit of fear. Cas’s face was understanding and warm, and Dean wanted to look away.

“Dean you are not an ant to me. I see you. I always see you. You are precious to me and I will always be here.”

Something in Dean cracked and broke and he laid his head on Cas’s shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. “I, wanted you to look at me the way you did Mari and then I realized that she is like your equal man, and I’m just this broken human with no great insights or wisdom.” Dean sighed and wiped at a tear that was tracking down his face. Stupid emotions, he thought.

“Mari is very old, that’s true, but she is not the one I have a bond with. You are a clear, bright point of light in my sky. Your shorter life gives you an energetic and raw passion for experience that Mari does not have. You both offer me perspective, but you are the one I love Dean, however you want to accept it.”

“You love me?” asked Dean in shock. He hadn’t really expected that.

“Yes Dean. I have for a while now.”

“Good. Me too.”

Nothing changed between the hunter and the angel outwardly. Dean still went hunting with Sam and Castiel showed up to help out. Sometimes there were research sessions in the library and sometimes Dean would curl up in bed and Castiel would appear in his bedroom and slip under the covers with Dean and hold him tight and tell the hunter how much he was loved and how good he was. Dean loved those nights best, even if it he wouldn’t admit it to anyone. There was some pretty awesome sex as well according to Dean and the world still turned. No one yelled at him for being happy and with a man. No one even raised an eyebrow. 

On a late spring day in Duluth, Minnesota, Dean and Cas were walking down the street from a diner they had just been enjoying a meal in, towards their motel where Sam was waiting and Dean took Cas’s hand. No big drama, just a quiet gesture. Dean turned to Cas and squeezed his hand to get the angel’s attention.

“Cas do you think you would like to be boyfriends, err partners if you want?” said Dean, suddenly very interested in his boots. 

“Dean” 

Dean looked up at his name, “yeah Cas?”

“I had thought we were already partners. We hunt together, eat together and have slept together. Does that not constitute partners?”

Dean laughed, big and easy, throwing his head back, “yeah Cas, we are aren’t we. Let’s keep going then” and they carried on down the street hand in hand.


End file.
